Winchester Model 1873 Lever Action Rifle (3)

Winchester offered a wide variety of options for their Model
1873, including various calibers, barrel lengths and weights,
finishes, stocks, and sights. This deluxe pistol grip-stocked Model
1873 rifle, manufactured in 1884, bears British proofmarks.

Oliver Fisher Winchester was born on November 30, 1810 in
Boston, Massachusetts. Although raised on a farm, Winchester
eventually became a carpenter, and by 1830, he was a construction
supervisor in Baltimore, Maryland. While in Baltimore, he entered
the dry goods business, and after several years, Winchester became
a manufacturer of men's shirts in New Haven, Connecticut. This
venture proved to be sufficiently profitable that he began to
extend his business interests.

In 1855, Winchester became a stockholder and director of the
Volcanic Repeating Arms Company, a firearms manufacturing firm that
brought together the talents of Winchester with those of Horace
Smith, Daniel B. Wesson, and B. Tyler Henry. Volcanic produced
lever-action repeating pistols and carbines based on the patents of
Smith & Wesson. These two, who would later become famous for
their revolvers, had followed up on the earlier repeating rifle
designs of Walter Hunt and Lewis Jennings. Smith and Wesson sold
their patents and other assets to the newly-organized Volcanic
Company, and after a short time, both left Volcanic and began work
on the first of many revolvers to bear their names.

The Volcanic's operating mechanism was very similar to that still
used today in lever-action repeaters, but the guns were plagued by
problems with their self-contained cartridges. These consisted of a
hollow-based, powder-filled conical bullet backed by a fulminate
primer plate. In addition to problems with velocity due to the
limited amount of propellant available, these rounds also had the
unfortunate tendency to go off prematurely, sometimes while still
in the magazine. A further complication was the Volcanic's lack of
an extractor or ejection system. These were not necessary when the
ammunition functioned properly, but their lack created additional
problems in case of misfires. Consequently, marketing and sales
efforts were hampered.

In 1857, financial problems forced Volcanic into insolvency. The
company's assets were purchased by Oliver Winchester, who by this
time had become Volcanic's president. Winchester reorganized the
firm and resumed operations under the name of New Haven Arms
Company. Unlike others in the field of firearms manufacture during
this period, Winchester's talents lay not as an inventor but as a
successful businessman. This success would continue with New Haven,
and it extended beyond financial matters to the staffing of the new
company. Among those hired by Oliver Winchester was B. Tyler Henry,
who became plant manager. Henry had a great deal of experience with
repeating firearms, having worked previously for various arms
makers, including Smith & Wesson. One of his tasks was to
develop a metallic cartridge to replace the inferior self-contained
bullets chambered by the Volcanic.

Others, including Daniel Wesson, were also working on this problem,
and Wesson's .22 rimfire cartridge may have influenced Henry's
efforts. By 1860, Henry had developed a .44 rimfire, and he then
turned his efforts to modifying the Volcanic to load, fire, and
extract his new cartridge. His subsequent patent for these
improvements was assigned to the New Haven Arms Co. The firm
abandoned its pistol line and concentrated its efforts on the
manufacture of lever-action rifles of Henry's design which also
bore his name.

The coming of the Civil War brought with it a great demand for
firearms. Although the Henry, with its sixteen-shot tubular
magazine and impressive rate of fire was a truly revolutionary
rifle, conservative elements within the U.S. Army favored the
tried-and-true single-shot muzzle loading rifle-muskets as a
standard infantry arm. The government did place orders for a total
of over 1,700 Henry rifles, and many of these were issued to
troopers of the 1st Maine and 1st District of Columbia Cavalry
regiments. Many more found their way into the ranks through private
purchase. These rifles provided Union troops with a formidable
advantage over their enemies. At least one awed Confederate
referred to the Henry as "that damned Yankee rifle that can be
loaded on Sunday and fired all week!"

In 1867, the New Haven Arms Company was re-organized and became
known as the Winchester Repeating Arms Company, with Oliver
Winchester serving as president, treasurer, and board member. The
new company also introduced a new firearm, the Winchester Model
1866. These .44 rimfire caliber brass-framed arms were available in
musket, rifle, and carbine configurations. Winchester still hoped
to crack the military market, but despite the Henry's success and
its popularity during the Civil War, the Army remained wedded to
the single-shot rifle.

Nonetheless, Henry and Winchester Model 1866 "Yellow Boy" rifles
found a ready market on the western frontier. The Indians referred
to these arms as "many shots," and "spirit gun," which showed a
measure of awe and respect for the products of the New Haven-based
company. Many warriors were able to obtain these arms for
themselves, and more than twenty of them were used against George
A. Custer's 7th Cavalry and their single-shot Springfield carbines
at the Little Bighorn in June, 1876. Winchester repeaters also
found favor with miners, homesteaders, ranchers, lawmen, and
highwaymen. Winchester's success continued with the centerfire
Model 1873 and 1876 lever-action repeaters, both of which were
available in a range of calibers and optional features. The Model
1886 was a milestone for the company in two respects: it marked the
first association between Winchester and designer John Browning,
and it was also the first lever-action rifle capable of chambering
big-game calibers, including the .50-110 Express
cartridge.

Other Browning-designed Winchesters include the Model 1885
single-shot rifle, Model 1887 lever-action shotgun, Model 1890
slide-action rifle, Model 1893, Model 1894, and Model 1895
lever-action rifles. The Model 1894 alone accounted for over five
million sales and is still in production. Winchester was able to
enter the military market in later years, with sales both to
foreign governments and to the U.S. Army.

During both World Wars, Winchester-manufactured rifles and shotguns
served U.S. and Allied troops in various parts of the globe. In
addition to contract production of the U.S. Model 1917 bolt-action
and the famous M1 Garand semi-automatic rifles, Winchester also
produced the Model 1897 and Model 12 slide-action shotguns, as well
as the M1 Carbine. In the civilian market, the bolt-action Model 70
rifle is still popular with big game hunters, and Winchester
lever-action rifles continue to meet with sales
success.

Under his leadership Oliver Winchester saw his company rise from
near-bankruptcy to become one of the most successful firearms
manufacturing firms in the world. He was a gifted businessman who
was able to foresee opportunities and to make the most of them, and
a skilled judge of people and their abilities, as evidenced both by
the success of his company and by his association with men such as
Horace Smith, Daniel B. Wesson, B. Tyler Henry, and John Browning.
Declining health forced him to take a less active role in the
affairs of his firm, but the company's continued success was all
but assured by his vision and leadership.

Oliver Winchester died in December, 1880 at the age of 70, but both
his name and his company survive. The Winchester Repeating Arms
Company was acquired by Olin Corporation, which created U.S.
Repeating Arms as the manufacturer of Winchester rifles and
shotguns. In addition, Winchester arms were produced by Miroku of
Japan. In 1992, U.S. Repeating Arms was purchased by Giat of
France.